Method of Entering of Data into a Data Processing System

1. A method of entering data in a data processing system comprising: displaying a first linear sequence of top-level icons, wherein each icon corresponds to a data entry task; displaying, in response to activating a selected one of the top-level icons, an associated sub-task icon corresponding to a sub-task of the data entry task, wherein the associated sub-task icon is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on a same screen; displaying a second linear sequence of second-level icons and removing the associated sub-task icon in response to selecting the associated sub-task icon, wherein a leading icon of the second linear sequence is vertically aligned with the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, and the second linear sequence of second-level icons is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on the same screen; and displaying at least one data entry field for a selected one of the second-level icons, wherein the at least one data entry field is displayed concurrently with the second linear sequence of second-level icons on the same screen; displaying at least first and second selection icons for the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, each one of the at least first and second selection icons having an assigned second linear sequence of second-level icons, and further comprising displaying of one of the second linear sequences being assigned to a selected one of the selection icons, the position of a leading icon of the selected second linear sequence being aligned with the selected one of the top-level icon; a navigation icon for selecting a consecutive portion of top-level icons of the first linear sequence for display; and wherein a consecutive contiguous icon from the sequence of second-level icons is selected in response to completing data entry into the data entry field of a preceding icon of the second linear sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising interconnecting of the top-level icons by first horizontal lines for display of the first linear sequence and interconnecting of the second-level icons by second horizontal lines for display of the second linear sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying navigation buttons for a users navigation along the first and second linear sequences.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing the display of the second linear sequence after the data entry operations of a corresponding sub-task has been completed.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising highlighting of a selected one of the top-level icons and highlighting of a selected one of the displayed second-level icons, if any.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the first linear sequence having an uneven number of top-level icons is displayed, wherein a center icon of the portion of the first linear sequence is positioned in the middle of the display window.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a mark-up language document by a server computer containing the first and second linear sequences and the data entry field, and using a request-response protocol for transmitting the mark-up language document to a client computer and for transmitting of data that has been entered into the data entry field from the client computer to the server computer.

8. A computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium for entering of data in a data processing system, the computer program product on the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for: displaying a first linear sequence of top-level icons, wherein each icon corresponds to a data entry task; displaying, in response to activating a selected one of the top-level icons, an associated sub-task icon corresponding to a sub-task of the data entry task, wherein the associated sub-task icon is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on a same screen; displaying a second linear sequence of second-level icons and removing the associated sub-task icon in response to selecting the associated sub-task icon, wherein a leading icon of the second linear sequence is vertically aligned with the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, and the second linear sequence of second-level icons is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on the same screen; displaying at least one data entry field for a selected one of the second-level icons, wherein the at least one data entry field is displayed concurrently with the second linear sequence of second-level icons on the same screen; displaying at least first and second selection icons for the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, each one of the at least first and second selection icons having an assigned second linear sequence of second-level icons, and further comprising displaying of one of the second linear sequences being assigned to a selected one of the selection icons, the position of a leading icon of the selected second linear sequence being aligned with the selected one of the top-level icon; a navigation icon for selecting a consecutive portion of top-level icons of the first linear sequence for display; and selecting a consecutive contiguous icon from the sequence of second-level icons after data entry into the data entry field of a preceding icon of the second-level icons has been completed.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , comprising instructions for interconnecting of the top-level icons by first horizontal lines for display of the first linear sequence and interconnecting of the second-level icons by second horizontal lines for display of the second linear sequence.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising instructions for displaying navigation buttons for a users navigation along the first and second linear sequences.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising instructions for discontinuing the display of the second linear sequence after the data entry operations of a corresponding sub-task has been completed.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising instructions for highlighting of a selected one of the top-level icons and highlighting of a selected one of the displayed second-level icons, if any.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , the instructions being adapted to generate a mark-up language document comprising the first and second linear sequences and the at least one data entry field and using a request-response protocol for transmitting the mark-up language document to a client computer and for transmitting of data that has been entered into the data entry field from the client computer to the server computer.

14. A computer system comprising means for generating a mark-up language document comprising: a first linear sequence of top-level icons, wherein each icon corresponds to a data entry task; a sub-task icon corresponding to a sub-task of the data entry task associated with a selected one of the top-level icons, wherein the sub-task icon is removed after being activated; a second linear sequence of second-level icons generated in response to activating the sub-task icon, wherein the second level-icons represent sub-steps in a business process that are performed sequentially, a leading icon of the second linear sequence is vertically aligned with the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, and the second linear sequence of second-level icons is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on the same screen; at least one data entry field for a selected one of the second-level icons, wherein the at least one data entry field is displayed concurrently with the second linear sequence of second-level icons on the same screen; at least first and second selection icons for the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, each one of the at least first and second selection icons having an assigned second linear sequence of second-level icons, and further comprising one of the second linear sequences being assigned to a selected one of the selection icons, the position of a leading icon of the selected second linear sequence being aligned with the selected one of the top-level icon; a navigation icon for selecting a consecutive portion of top-level icons of the first linear sequence for display; and wherein the mark-up language document is further configured to select a consecutive contiguous icon after data entry into the data entry field of a preceding icon of the second linear sequence has been completed.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , a mark-up language document further comprising a set of navigation buttons for a users navigation along the first and second linear sequences.

16. The computer system of claim 14 , the first linear sequence comprising n top-level icons of respective data entry tasks i of a selected data entry procedure, where 0<i≦n, and wherein the second linear sequence comprises second-level icons for performing a selected sub-task j of task i, and wherein each one of the second-level icons represents one of m data entry steps k, where 0<k≦m, of the second linear sequence.